Age 96, of Colby, passed away Sunday evening, March 3, 2013 at the House of the Dove Marshfield with family at her bedside and under the tender care of Ministry Home Care Hospice.

Funeral services will be held at 11AM on Friday, March 8, 2013 at Zion Lutheran Church in Colby. The Rev. Mark Neumann will officiate. Burial will follow in Colby Memorial Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Thursday at the church in Colby from 4:30PM until 8PM and again at the church on Friday from 10AM until time of services. Acting as Clara’s pallbearers will be Lorin Dassow, David and Daniel Longsdorf, Daniel Holtzheimer, Nathaniel Swenson and Lester Willner. Clara’s honorary pallbearers will be her granddaughters: Darla Dassow, Cari Carlson, Kimberli Winkel and Kristina Holtzheimer.

Life Tributes Funeral Home in Spencer is assisting the family.

Clara was born May 24, 1916 in the town of Colby, daughter of the late George and Wilhelmina (Schulz) Theilig. On September 4, 1937 she married Alex Winkel at Zion Lutheran Church in Colby.
He died February 20, 1978.

Besides raising her family, she was employed at area supper clubs as a cook, cooked at Meadow Farms in Abbotsford, worked at a local hardware store and at both the clinic and post office in Colby.

She was very active in the community. Along with being a long time member of Zion Lutheran Church, Clara belonged to the Zion Sewing Circle, Our Afternoon Out Homemakers Club, Colby Senior Citizens Group, Clark County Historical Society, Friends of Colby Library. She shared her times and talents by volunteering at the Colonial House and reading to Zion Lutheran Preschoolers. Clara’s hobbies included working in her vegetable and flower gardens, raspberry picking, crocheting, ceramic works and hand crafting.

Survivors include her children: Janice Dassow of Medford; Mardell (Richard) Longsdorf of St. Cloud, MN; Darrel (Marie) Winkel of Hewitt; her grandchildren: Darla Dassow of Robbinsdale, MN; Lorin (Bobbie) Dassow of Medford; Cari Carlson of Marshfield; David (Alissa) Longsdorf of Superior; Daniel (Laurie) Longsdorf of Springfield, MN; Kimberli Winkel of Rockford, IL and Kristina (Daniel) Holtzheimer of Auburndale; 13 great grandchildren and 3 great great grandchildren along with many nieces, nephews other relatives and friends.

Clara was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, one daughter Carol, one granddaughter Sandra, one great granddaughter Angel, one son-in-law Hank Dassow, three sisters and two brothers.